Driving License Transfer

[English]

Hi everyone,

I am originally from England and have just got my Green Card and Social Security number in the United States.

I am still currently using my English driving license and am insured on my wife's car using that.

I was wondering, how long is it ok for me to carry on using my English license in the United States?

Also, I currently live in Rhode Island and their DMV has told me I can get a permit after a written test but I may have to wait up to 6 months to do a road test in order to get my full license. What does the permit allow me to do? Can I theoretically buy, insure and drive my own car with the permit, while waiting for the test or am I better off using my English license until I get the full RI one?

Any information is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[kabkaba]

Most states require that you obtain their license within a few months of moving there. Some states waive test requirements if you have a foreign license. You will probably not be allowed to register the car with a foreign or even out-of-state license.
You should be able to drive a car with the permit without any problem. 6 months seems like a long time after permit to get a full license.

[English]

Thanks for the advice. From what the DMV are telling me, I have to apply like i'm a kid applying for their first license despite the fact i'm 29 and have been driving a while.

From what I can gather, in RI, with a permit, you have to have someone with a full license in the vehicle with you whenever you are driving. That is frankly not going to work.

I guess I can apply for the RI license while still continuing to use my English license for now. Then when I have my full RI license I can stop using the English one. It's a shame that I can't transfer my license across.

[kabkaba]

It is not a big deal unless you are pulled over any way.